Page 17 of Culinary Chaos (Hotel Bombshell #1)

Chapter

Twelve

“ Y ou know what I’m going to say, right?” Angelica sat down heavily at the conference table that was going to become her new home. Hope was already there.

“That you’re secretly a wood fairy who wants to dance naked in the forest and live under a mushroom?” Hope’s eyes were alight with the joke.

Angelica paused, the comment catching her completely off guard. She shook her head, laughing lightly. “No.”

“Ah, my bad. What were you going to say?”

“The kitchens are?—”

“An absolute shitshow,” Hope finished for her.

“Yeah.” Angelica sighed heavily. She’d been one part worried about bringing that up to Hope and one part frustrated that her workload was actually going to be light for this episode.

She wanted to dive deep into a new project, have that thrill of something hard to do that kept her going most days.

Instead, she’d be taking the back seat. But, it would give her time to do some proper interviews in the in-between moments that she’d surely get this time around.

“I haven’t eaten anything there in the last two days that’s actually edible. Even Rex didn’t finish his plate, and he has a stomach of steel.”

Angelica hummed, agreeing. She’d taken to ordering food from elsewhere because she couldn’t stomach even the idea of what was being cooked in that kitchen. “What are they doing to it?”

“I don’t know.” Hope sighed. “I need to do a full walk-through, and I want to do it when they’re not around.”

“Might make a good scene for the episode. We can mention it to Kyle when we have our meeting this afternoon.”

Hope nodded her agreement. They fell into a moment of silence, Angelica searching for the next thing they needed to discuss, but she was so distracted with the way that Hope was playing her fingers on the table, one after the other as she tapped them in quick succession.

“What about the tension?”

“What?” Angelica jerked her chin up, eyes locking on Hope’s rounded face.

She’d been so distracted since dinner last night.

It was the first time she’d let her phone ring and ding with notifications and she’d just flat out ignored it.

But it had felt good to set that aside and just spend time with someone.

She hadn’t done that since she’d been with Leanne, and even then, it had been difficult to make time and space for it.

Leanne had always complained about that.

“The tension,” Hope repeated, like that was going to explain exactly what the hell she was talking about.

Angelica shook her head.

“Between you and me?” Hope’s brow furrowed. “Remember talking to Josef and Kyle about it?”

“Right.” Angelica frowned. They’d seemed to find a fairly even way to converse, so adding in that kind of tension on top of their camaraderie was going to ruin it. But that was the risk that they were going to take.

“We were going to plan some in.”

“We were,” Angelica agreed. “Just based on what you know of the kitchen, what are you going to do to fix it?”

“Fire everyone.” Hope said that like she had no emotional investment in it at all. It was so vastly different from the conversation about Antonio in Dallas.

Angelica wanted to pry into that a little. “You’ll fire people here, but not Antonio?”

“Antonio needed proper training and a good environment to learn in. He’s not without skills. Chateau Orleans needs a complete overhaul, and that won’t happen so long as a single person remains here.”

“Ah.” Angelica crossed her arms, eyeing Hope up and down carefully. Her brain spun with ideas, but only one kept coming back up, one that Hope probably wasn’t going to like.

“What are you thinking?” Hope asked.

“What makes you think I’m thinking something?”

“First, I don’t think your brain ever stops.” Hope laughed a little. “Second, you have this look, something devious, something a little gross, and something that seems nearly perfect. So what is it? Share it with the class, why don’t you?”

“Fine.” Angelica rested her palms on the arms of the chair. “But you’re not going to like it.”

“You don’t know that until you tell me what it is.”

“Play into our roles.”

“Our roles…” Hope repeated, clearly not understanding the direction that Angelica was trying to lead them.

Angelica hummed with a nod. “Yes, me the Ice Fairy who’s more bitch than nice and you the sunshine that’s the total opposite of me.”

“I’m not sure I’d say we’re totally the opposite of each other, but I think I understand where you’re headed with this.”

“Not opposite?” Angelica paused her direction for a moment. She wanted to know more about what Hope meant.

“We’re both control freaks, Ange. I’m just happier about it than you are.” Hope bit her lower lip, eyeing Angelica fully.

Angelica wanted to push back on that, but she didn’t.

Hope wasn’t wrong, at least not about her quick judgment about Angelica being a control freak.

She wouldn’t have worked her way up into management so quickly and so well if she wasn’t.

Not dignifying that answer with another response, Angelica continued with the conversation from before.

“I suggest that you and I argue over the firing of the staff. Ultimately, we know that they need to be terminated from their positions, but perhaps you fight back on it more than you would normally.”

“Won’t that paint me in a weak light?” Hope asked.

“A compassionate one.”

“And you the evil witch who hates everyone?” One of Hope’s eyebrows rose up, her gaze locked on Angelica’s. “That doesn’t seem very fair.”

“No one ever said show business was fair.” Angelica’s stomach tightened, her chest constricting.

Why did it look like Hope wanted to lean in?

Why were they sitting so close together?

Angelica hadn’t even noticed how they’d slid closer together throughout the conversation, coming to sit nearly side by side. Close enough to touch, surely.

“I don’t suppose they did,” Hope responded, agreeing with Angelica. “But what do I get out of this?”

“Tension,” Angelica answered. “Exactly what you asked for.”

That’s all this was, right? Or was Angelica going to enjoy playing the argument too much and cause an actual fight to happen between them?

That was her main concern with this entire idea to begin with, and why she’d wanted to forget that she’d ever actually agreed to it.

But she was good at playing the part that people expected her to.

She’d used that skill to her advantage many times over the years.

“I’m not entirely sure that’s true.” Hope leaned in even closer, her voice lowering. If anyone else were in the room with them, they’d have a hard time hearing her. “What do you get out of it?”

“I keep my reputation.”

“As the Ice Fairy?” Hope asked.

“Yes,” Angelica answered, her voice nothing but a whisper.

Why did this feel like a whole new level of flirting?

One that she couldn’t fully see the lines of because they were blurring with reality so rapidly.

Josef had told her that she needed to have clear boundaries this time, unlike with Leanne.

And she was trying her damnedest, but sometimes, boundaries needed to be blurred to get the job done.

And hadn’t he asked her to do just that?

“I don’t think you’re as icy as you like to play at.” Hope’s voice was rough, gravelly. “I think you like people to think that you’re cold, untouchable, that you’re the ultimate nut to crack.”

Angelica pressed her lips together tightly. How was it possible for Hope to read her so easily? No one else could. Not within such a short period of time of knowing each other. What walls hadn’t Angelica put up this time? What was she missing to keep Hope out of her head and her heart?

“I think you care more deeply than you want to admit to yourself,” Hope added, reaching out for Angelica’s hand.

Angelica jerked back, moving her hand out of Hope’s reach. That would be very bad. Her heart pounded, slamming against her chest and making it so hard to breathe properly. What the hell game were they playing at this time?

“Take the idea or leave it, Hope.”

“I’ll take it.” Hope grinned brightly. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I want to see my daughter before she’s stuck in tutoring all afternoon.” Hope pushed herself to stand, her thigh brushing against Angelica’s knee as she moved.

Angelica shivered and closed her eyes, the ghost of Hope still on her skin even though it barely even qualified as a touch. She had to get out of her head. Immediately. This was exactly what Josef had warned her about, and the last thing she needed was another relationship anyway.

Sitting in the silence of the room longer than normal, Angelica collected herself.

Josef should be there by now, though she’d heard that his flight had been delayed.

Kyle had already arrived and was checking out the different locations to get a feel for the place.

That left her squarely doing nothing, and thinking about no one other than Hope.

Hope, who was having a quick visit with her family.

That conversation had stung last night, and she’d hated that Hope had managed to pick up on it.

Angelica hated talking about her personal life.

She was an intensely private person, but she also never had very much to share.

She wasn’t partnered, and she didn’t have kids, which meant all she had was work.

She hadn’t lied when she’d said it was a decision she’d wanted to make. But that didn’t also mean that she didn’t live with the regret of what-ifs either.

Frowning, Angelica opened her laptop to attempt to get some work done for the other hotels she managed.

Maybe she should look into ownership sooner rather than later.

It’d be another layer to add to her repertoire, but an important one.

Angelica stared at the screen and flicked to her email.

Pursing her lips, she tried to answer a couple, but it was a struggle to get the words out and to focus on what was being asked.

Sighing heavily, she closed it. This wasn’t going to do. Not for right now.

Not when she was so distracted.

Especially when she shouldn’t be.

Sighing heavily, Angelica leaned back in her chair and just stared at the door.

Would Hope be the first one to come back in?

Or would she be the last one? God, this was ridiculous.

She needed to move. Angelica winced and stood up.

She walked swiftly out of the room and toward the elevator, heading straight for her assigned room for the week.

In an instant, she’d stripped down and slid into her running clothes.

One last run before the dramatics of a new episode started would be perfect and exactly what she needed, right?

Sliding her cell phone into her pocket, Angelica made her way outside into the heat of the late spring.

She rolled her shoulders and started walking to stretch her muscles.

Just the idea of running felt delicious.

She really should do this more often. She started with a slow pace, building herself up to a good run.

As the hot air entered her lungs, Angelica thought good thoughts. As the hot air left her body, she expelled all the bad things.

In—Hope, dreams, strength, energy.

Out—Leanne, pain, loneliness, broken dreams.

Her muscles burned as she continued to run, her feet pounding into the pavement.

She pushed aside as many of the work thoughts as she could.

This wasn’t the place for them. She continued to run, checking her watch to make sure she would be able to turn around and shower before she had to step into the meeting with everyone that afternoon.

Her watch buzzed sharply, pulling her from her thoughts.

Leanne.

With a steadying breath, Angelica slowed her steps until she stopped. She pulled out her phone, reading the text message.

Leanne: I wanted to thank you for the opportunity to work with you and learn.

Angelica held her breath. There was more. There had to be more than just that. Her thumb hovered over the keyboard, as she debated whether or not to type something back, or to ask if this was actually a text of gratitude or if Leanne was just trying to rub it in her face.

Leanne: Please don’t ever talk to me again.

Cold washed through her. Tears welled in her eyes.

She clenched her jaw tight and barely managed to keep her breath steady.

She hadn’t expected that—the pain to rush through her so quickly, consuming everything she’d been trying to bring into her life in the last few miles of her run. She should have known better.

Leanne wasn’t leaving because she’d found another job.

She’d found another job because she couldn’t stand to work for the woman who had her heart broken by the fact that Leanne wouldn’t resign to be with her.

Normally Angelica was the one who would have chosen work over relationship, but this time it was the opposite.

She’d been willing to sacrifice for Leanne. But Leanne had told her no.

Flat out.

No wavering.

Locking her phone and pocketing it, Angelica started the long walk back to Chateau Orleans.

She let the tears slide down her cheeks, the sobs rack through her until her ribs hurt.

But she knew that as soon as she walked back inside the doors to that hotel, she’d be the perfect hotel manager and no one would be able to tell what had happened.

That’s the way it needed to be.

Brushing the salty demons from her cheeks, Angelica picked up her pace so she wouldn’t be late.

When she reached the hotel, she stepped into the air-conditioned building and bolstered herself, putting her managerial mask firmly in place.

She rode the elevator up to her floor and stopped as soon as the doors opened.

Hope stood on the other side of them, Eva’s hand in hers. Angelica’s lips parted in surprise. She thought she’d have twenty more minutes before she had to see anyone. She dropped her chin and moved to step aside, but Hope’s hand darted out and touched her arm lightly.

“What’s wrong?” Hope asked.

“N-nothing.” Angelica bit the inside of her cheek, raising her gaze to meet Hope’s. Could she see the red lining her eyes? Could she see the swollenness of her face? Or was it just an overwhelming sadness that Hope could magically detect?

Hope dropped her voice to just above a whisper, her fingers clinging onto Angelica’s arm. “Seriously, what’s wrong?”

“I’ll be there in a few minutes. I just need to get cleaned up.” Angelica blinked at her and then flicked her gaze down to Eva. “I’ll see you soon.”

Shuddering, Angelica pried herself away from Hope.

What the hell power did Hope have over her?

And how did Angelica break that hold?